Fiat Linea T-Jet : Test Drive & Review

This is a discussion on Fiat Linea T-Jet : Test Drive & Review within Official New Car Reviews, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; The plates can get burnt if one rides them and that can happen in an extended crawl. Rare but can ...

The plates can get burnt if one rides them and that can happen in an extended crawl. Rare but can happen

As for coverage under warranty refer to the owner's manual to get a clear idea.

If it helps you can take it to SK Karzone, they have a workshop in Palaspe phata and another in Nerul. Ask for the owner Mr. Manoj Khanna, he is a very knowledgable person and by looking at the snaps might be able to tell you what might have gone wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiaashish

first on whether its actually possible to have the clutch plates burnt with less than 6000 km of city running on a Tjet

And second, even if this were true, are clutch plates not covered under the first year Fiat warranty.

Even if the clutch plates are not covered under standard warranty, but 5k is a very less distance for them to malfunction. I think you should write an email to Fiat care (both India/Global) asking for a free replacement.

As for coverage under warranty refer to the owner's manual to get a clear idea.

If it helps you can take it to SK Karzone, they have a workshop in Palaspe phata and another in Nerul. Ask for the owner Mr. Manoj Khanna, he is a very knowledgable person and by looking at the snaps might be able to tell you what might have gone wrong.

Thanks @khoj. Checked the manual - clutch discs are excluded . Is SK Karzone an authorised FASS? Cos the manual says that any changes made at a non authorised workshop would make the warranty null and void.

Wheel balancing and alignment were always charged right from the 15K service and I guess it is important to do it in the service center to maintain suspension warranty.

Thanks @Aceman82. Can I quote your case to negotiate with Fiat on a free replacement. If yes, appreciate if you could give some more details.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xaero

Even if the clutch plates are not covered under standard warranty, but 5k is a very less distance for them to malfunction. I think you should write an email to Fiat care (both India/Global) asking for a free replacement.

Thanks @Xaero. I have messaged Mangesh of Fiat. He has said he is looking into it and will try and work out a discount. Should I insist on a free replacement or settle with whatever discount he gives?

Thanks @Xaero. I have messaged Mangesh of Fiat. He has said he is looking into it and will try and work out a discount. Should I insist on a free replacement or settle with whatever discount he gives?

I think you should write in the Fiat Global while CCing FIAT India explaining your situation and that you had trust in FIAT brand, though not covered under warranty but a distance of 5K is very less for Clutch plates to fire unless you do 60 degree inclines for the 3000 kms out of these 5000. Rest is upto you to decide that how much arm twisting or request you can do to get the best possible deal/discount/free replacement. But, yes do not give in without a little to and fro discussions.

Just had a word with Mangesh. He says he can offer only a discount of 25% on the clutch discs and labour. That puts me down by about 10K!! He says that he called the dealer to ask the situation how it happened and cites the heavy jam on the Mumbai-Pune expressway at the Khandala Ghats on Saturday as the reason. This is not convincing at all. My apprehensions about the poor ASS of Fiat is coming true:(. Friends, can anyone share the mail ids of the top management at Fiat India / Fiat SPA. I want to escalate this issue. Please share urgently guys.

Tryst with AADYA Fiat Bangalore continues. Not sure if I would be ever able to own a Fiat after the horrific experience with the Fiat dealer.

Nothing seems to have changed over the years. 4 years ago, when I decided to buy a T Jet Plus, I approached KHT Motors as they were closest to my work spot. Big mistake. These guys were professional when we started conversing. I was offered to take a look at the car only after paying a booking amount. I think it was Rs. 20,000 or so. They told me they had multiple T Jet cars at their stock yard. I had not paid attention to their cancellation charges which was Rs. 2000. When the day arrived to visit the stock yard, I found only one Sunbeam T Jet which was not up to scratch from a cosmetic stand point. It was an old car from May 2011 and I was purchasing the car in December 2011. I was pretty okay with the age of the car, knowing that T Jet's don't move off the shelf. When I asked them about the other T Jet units they claimed to have, the dialog changed. They said it was in Pune and they will have to order. I kept my cool. Nothing really happened as days progressed. I must have given them a little over a week or so. Absolutely no follow up from them.

In parallel, my father started talking to Prerana Motors in Lalbagh. Back then, Tata and Fiat cars were sold under one roof. I now feel it should have stayed that way. Fiat had just introduced a one lac discount on the T Jet Plus too. With no money put across the table and with just a phone call, Prerana said to come over and they would show me an Excel document with information of all the cars in their stock yard. I thought this was a sales pitch just to get me to their show room. I went to Prerana and they listed out ten T Jet cars they had. All the information about the cars such as Color, Variant, VIN, etc were available. The transparency of the dealer impressed me that I asked them to give me a few days to get my money back from KHT.

When I went back to KHT to ask them about the 1 lac discount, they said that was for new cars being shipped and not for existing inventory. This was the point where I decided that I am done with them. I told them that I wish to give my business to Prerana. Out of the blue, the one lac discount is now offered but I don't have cars to pick. I decided to cancel my booking with them. This was the time I discovered they had a cancellation charge of Rs. 2000. I tried a little to recover the money but was unsuccessful. The manager tried to convince me to stay with them. I held my hands together (Namaste) and said, I am begging you, please take the cancellation amount, I am done with you.

Later in the evening, I went to Prerana Motors and made a booking for a Sun Beam beige T Jet Plus. The service experience was the exact opposite to the extent that I have not seen a more humble car dealer ever. They gave me all the time I wanted to do a detailed PDI too. Took out the car, parked it in a spot where I won't be disturbed. I must have taken two hours. In all this time, a person from the dealer was standing beside me to answer any queries I had. I handed out a report to them when I was done. All was not perfect. Some minor issues were there, all of which were addressed before delivery. I still ended up with a May 2011 manufactured car. If Fiat have a car dealer like Prerana across the country, I am sure their sales will be better than what it is.

A year down the line, Prerana calls me that a Fiat customer needs my help to PDI a car. I offer my help to a total stranger. Prerana pick me up from my house, drive me all the way to their stock yard which is 25-30km away, and then drop me back home. Now how often do you hear of a car dealer going to such extents to please a customer! Service standards like these are heard from only a handful of dealers, that too from the pricey car segments (Read BMW, Mercedes, etc).

I guess I can call myself lucky cause in 4 years and 32,000 km, not a single part/component has failed. Unheard of on a Fiat. Hope it stays this way. It goes without saying that I take very good care of my car.

Sadly; I don't think my next car will ever be a Fiat, no matter how good it is to drive. I have never come across a more irresponsible company ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiaashish

Just had a word with Mangesh. He says he can offer only a discount of 25% on the clutch discs and labour.

You must push for this to be covered under warranty. This is premature component failure. A poorly adjusted clutch at the factory or during first service could have resulted in this. Do continue to be polite in your conversations with Fiat India.

Thanks @Aceman82. Can I quote your case to negotiate with Fiat on a free replacement. If yes, appreciate if you could give some more details.

Sure why not, more so since the Linea is now anyways dead.

It was @ 30K service (2015) where there was difficulty in engaging reverse gear (some kar-kar sound). There was also a judder while breaking very hard. I guess both were caused due to my Leh trip since due to lack of power the MJD in ghat sections, I had to liberally slip the clutch.

Ramkey Fiat (Chennai OMR) proactively replaced both my Clutch (i had pay some 200 Rs for some wire or something) and my Front disks under warranty.

Frankly I would have paid to replace both but I was very surprised and pleased that Ramkey somehow replaced them under warranty. If I did not need a 7 seat car (aka XUV500) , I would gladly go with Fiat again.

If you need more info or my name and contact number, please send a PM.I am sorry that I could upload the service bill copy since it was lost in Chennai Floods along with the car.

To all T-Jet owners...
I own New T Jet since May 2014. I have clocked 31000 km already and it hasn't even been 2 years...There are some issue that I have faced in the car which I would like to share in the forum in case it helps anyone else...

1. The Stereo would randomly switch to AUX on using the horn. This started happening in the first year. After reporting multiple times to KHT FIAT Whitefield, Bangalore, they did do some trial and error but it never fixed the issue. I had to finally resort to lodging a complaint with FIAT through their customer care number after which I finally got a resolution and I must say that the problem has now been fixed.

2. Brake noise at low speeds. I have read a lot about this in the forums. I even reported this multiple times to the FIAT service centre (KHT whitefield). However, the only response I used to get was that this is a common issue with T Jet. Again I lodged a complaint with FIAT customer care and it appears that FIAt india did provide a solution to the service centre. They "cleaned the Brake pads and applied stop squeal solvent". This has reduced the noise to a minimum. I have been using the car for 2 weeks after the job and the sound hasnt surfaced again.

In the service aspects I have faced no issues at all. However, the troubleshooting and willingness to provide a solution is not present everywhere. It might just be my experience.

To all T-Jet owners...
I own New T Jet since May 2014. I have clocked 31000 km already and it hasn't even been 2 years...There are some issue that I have faced in the car which I would like to share in the forum in case it helps anyone else...

1. The Stereo would randomly switch to AUX on using the horn. This started happening in the first year. After reporting multiple times to KHT FIAT Whitefield, Bangalore, they did do some trial and error but it never fixed the issue. I had to finally resort to lodging a complaint with FIAT through their customer care number after which I finally got a resolution and I must say that the problem has now been fixed.

Regards
Anugrah

Hi, Would like to know what was the fix done in this case ? I am facing the same issue. Your experience will help me go to KHT asking for a sure shot fix

Hi
This is the mail from Mr Raghavendra Rao , the manager at KHT. I dont know exactly what was done, but it was related to the USB port and it is working fine now. Email excerpt below. My suggestion would be to call FIAT customer care and lodge a complaint first so that you are aware of the resolution.

The details of work done to resolve the above mentioned complaint during visit today ( 10.02.2016) as mentioned below,

Called up a Fiat showroom in Electronics City, Bengaluru (which itself was difficult as the web-site has a wrong number listed and the service section just passed me the sales guys number instead giving him my number to call) - they apparently dont even have Petrol Linea for a test drive !

No wonder Fiat is struggling with numbers.

I've wanted to buy a Linea T-Jet for quite a while now and been saving up for it. Right now I nearly have the money I need, but all these dealership nightmares are scaring the heck out of me. Is there any dealership in Bangalore that someone can recommend who will be at least reasonable. I have a Palio MJD right now, and I get it serviced at Ebony (a.k.a Aadyaa motors). Haven't faced too many issues with their servicing, mostly because my car is in fine shape over the years I've used it. Recommendations are very much appreciated, and a good recent experience will certainly boost my confidence in a dealer.

Hi friends, I feel my T jet has a slight pull towards the left. The car has just completed 2600 or so and the first service was already over. In fact it was after the first service that this issue seems to have cropped up. I suspect it to be a problem with the wheel alignment. What to do? Is it advisable to take it to a private wheel alignment centre to get it corrected. Will it have any problem with warranty.